638 Forestry Quarterly 



sumption, which was met by the public forest administrations by- 

 reducing the cut by 7 million cubic feet. 



Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen, June, 1914, pp. 181-3. 



MISCELLANEOUS 



Acorns, Acorns, horse chestnuts and beech mast, 



Horse Chestnuts if not moiildy or fermented, and if given in 



and small quantities together with other food. 



Beech Mast may be used with good results as food for 



as Food stock, but care must be exercised. 



Large quantities of acorns, without adequate supply of other 

 foods and of water, are liable to cause acorn poisoning, especially 

 in the case of young cattle under three years. Care should also 

 be exercised in feeding these nuts to pregnant sows and dairy 

 cattle. Their food value consists in the digestible carbohydrates 

 they contain; they are therefore suitable to give with green fodder 

 and food rich in protein. 



Horse chestnuts also contain carbohydrates. They do not 

 appear to have any poisonous effects, but if taken in large quanti- 

 ties, not supplemented by green fodder or watery foods, have a 

 tendency to bring on digestive disturbances, especially stoppage. 

 Oil cakes (protein) , hay, straw are foods to be used in conjunction 

 with horse chestnuts. 



Beech mast (the kernel only should be used, the husk containing 

 too much crude fibre to be suitable as food) contains albuminoids, 

 and so would be a supplementary food to those poor in protein 

 but rich in carbohydrates. It can be fed to cattle and pigs freely; 

 poultry, especially turkeys, fatten quickly on it. It, however, 

 contains a constituent injurious to horses, and sheep will eat it 

 only under compulsion. 



All these nuts, acorns, horse chestnuts and beech mast make 

 better food if crushed and ground into meal. One poimd of horse 

 chestnut meal contains starch equal to that found in 1 lb. 1 oz. 

 feeding barley, 1 lb. 4 oz. oats, 1 lb. 8 oz. bran, or 2 lb, 5 oz. 

 meadow hay. Fresh and unprepared nuts have been fed daily 

 in the following quantities; sheep 3^ to 1 lb., or up to 2 lbs. to 

 fattening sheep; dairy cattle 4 to 10 lbs.; working oxen /^ lb.; 

 horses 6 lb. Pigs prefer the meal, and have shown good results 

 from 1/^ lb. daily. 



Special Leaflet No. 9, Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, October, 1914, 



